Why Stephen King Fans Think That A New Shawshank Redemption Movie Is On The Way

Being Stephen King sounds like a dream come true. While you're off writing your next hit novel, ten other adaptations of your work are being developed for film and television. "The Life of Chuck," "The Long Walk" and "The Running Man" will all hit theaters this year alone, with the "It" spin-off series "Welcome to Derry" set for an HBO release in the back half. Although it shouldn't come as a shock to learn that there's even more King news on the horizon, the title involved comes with its own set of implications.

According to Puck's "What I'm Hearing" newsletter from writer (and "The Studio" star) Matthew Belloni, King has taken steps to place the rights of "The Shawshank Redemption" back into his personal library:

"Stephen King's lawyers have notified Warner Bros. that he will be terminating the copyright license for 'The Shawshank Redemption,' one of my favorite movies. I hope this doesn't mean he's gonna set up a new movie or TV series elsewhere. King is pretty aggressive about terminations, Puck's Eriq Gardner tells me, which makes sense given how robust the market continues to be for adaptations of his books."

It's not uncommon for creatives to rescind the copyrights to their intellectual property after an allotted amount of time has passed, but King's decision to hone in on "The Shawshank Redemption" gives the impression that another adaptation could be on the horizon. It's not the first time King has done this either, after all. Back in 2016, the celebrated author terminated the copyright contracts for "Cat's Eye," "Children of the Corn," "Creepshow," "Cujo," "The Dead Zone" and "Firestarter," with a large portion of those titles receiving film or television adaptations in the following years (via Zerner Law).

Based on King's 1982 novella, "The Shawshank Redemption" tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker wrongfully accused of murdering his wife who gets sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary on a life sentence. The decades-spanning story is recounted through the perspective of fellow prisoner Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman), as both men attempt to keep their dignity in a systemically cruel ecosystem. The 1994 prison drama is one of those films whose sentimentality could tank the picture in the wrong hands, but with King collaborator Frank Darabont in the director's seat, it became a deeply affecting work that continues to endure with audiences today.

It's interesting to think about how "Shawshank" was once considered an underdog, having fallen considerably short at the box office upon its initial release. But word-of-mouth spread like wildfire once it hit home media and it's only grown in popularity since. I'm always awe-struck by how much of a life-affirming film it is about never losing hope in the face of overwhelming adversity.

There are no official plans in place to give "Shawshank" another adaptation, but given King's hot streak, the chances of it happening is open to possibility. Darabont doesn't believe the film could get made today, and given the startling lack of adult dramas made for theaters, he's probably right. It would also be foolish to take another cinematic stab at what was already perfect to begin with, but that doesn't mean someone won't try. If we're taking bets on how "Shawshank" will come back, however, a television show or miniseries seems the most likely given the story's expansive time span. I'm not saying that's what should happen, but the trend of adapting great movies into fodder for the streaming machine is all too big to ignore.